Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor the song How to Save a Life by The Fray.

How to Save a Life

"Try to slip past his defense without granting innocence.
Lay down a list of what is wrong; the things you've told him all along.
And pray to God, he hears you. And pray to God, he hears you."

"We need to talk."

He keeps walking, out towards the open garage door and with every step her heart beats a little bit harder.

"Sit down, it's just a talk."

He whirls, a smile upon his face and malice in his words.

"A talk? You're whole family is right fucking there!"

His voice is a rough whisper and it grates her alive. She doesn't understand how things came to this, how her actions evoked such a terrible consequence.

"Please?"

His eyes soften for a moment and he keeps walking, out towards the forest.

"Are you coming or not?"

Renesmee runs to catch up, reaching him as he enters the thicket. Guilt runs heavy through her heart as she looks upon him, eyes gaunt and hollow, lips stretched thin over his teeth. It hurts her to see him this way.

Her best friend.

"I don't…I don't understand…"

She huffs loudly once before the floodgates open, and suddenly she can't stop talking.

"I don't understand why you hate me so much. You look my way like you're disgusted by just my presence. When I enter a room you find the fastest exit. This is ridiculous, you used to be my best friend."

"Things change, Ness."

"Not that quickly, not this fast."

Her eyes are tearing and she's reaching for his hands but he steps back, as though she were as hot as a fire and he was cautious of the burn.

"For you it does."

She still doesn't understand but she knows the words mean more than they seem on the outside. More than she's really finding there, between the syllables in his beautifully broken voice.

"I just want my friend back."

She sees a change then, his shoulders slumping in defeat and his eyes water like hers too. He steps forward this time and grabs her hand, stroking his thumb along her slender fingers.

"I don't think I can be your friend anymore, Nessie."

"Seth…" her voice breaks, like a promise taken for granted, "That hurts."

"Which is why I didn't want to have this conversation."

She blinks through the tears and looks up at his towering form.

"Why can't we be friends?"

He grabs her then, holds her close. His lips are at her ear and when he speaks she can feel every intake of breath against her skin.

"Because it is going to kill me to see you fall in love with him, to see you marry him. If I stay here, so close, I will die a slow death watching. Save my life, and let me go."

He leans away and lightly kisses the corner of her lips, murmuring goodbye as he walks away.

Renesmee falls to the floor, unable to comprehend the emotions running so thick through her bloodstream.

She understand this feeling, this heartbreak, because Seth was her first and only one.